Help with job interview (non beer related)

[thaworm69]

Hi folks...there are a lot of really smart people on here and I figured I would see if any of you could give me some advice. I have recently applied for a job that would bump my hourly wage by over $10/hr. I interviewed for this job last year and pretty sure I botched my interview by not being able to answer the "what are you're weaknesses" question properly.. This is just a production worker job and it pays $23/hr to start with massive overtime. SO anyone out there have a good idea on how to handle this question? I am testing Sunday and expect to be interviewed next week if all goes as planned. Thanks in advance

 

[Xpertskir]

First off...know the answer before you go. Don't try to play the weakness of as a strength either...thats BS and transparently so.

Just say the weakness, which implies you are aware of it, and then explain some ways you overcome it/are trying to work on it.

For instance, mine would be sometimes moving too quickly and it causing me to make errors that would not have been made had I been moving slow.
My explanation would be:
"I get excited and want to progress through the job and have my eyes focused on the finish line and then hit a snag that sets me back due to my speed. This is less of a problem that it used to be, now that I am aware of the issue. When I feel myself moving to quickly, I take a deep breath, pause, and think things over to make sure I'm not missing anything. Ive certainly learned some lessons from the errors I have previously made, but they were lessons that would have eventually been learned at a lower cost to me and the projects I was working on."

Its pretty generic but that's the general idea.
Some other general advice

One thing I have a hard time with in interviews is talking too much. Some expanding on questions asked is good, but generally you want to keep your answer brief and to the point.


Be prepared to answer these questions as well:

What is your favorite part of your current job?
What is one thing you would change about your current job if you could?
Why do you want to leave X job for Y job.



Another things that's very helpful is making sure you have questions prepared to ask them. In fact make a list and make a point to pull it out when they ask you if you have any questions.

Those first two questions I told you to prepare for "best" and "worst" part of job are great questions for you to ask them.

Also ask them
What is a typical day like for the position you are interviewing for
What is the company culture/do you like the people you work with
Ect.

Basically you need to ask questions that make them think you are feeling out the job to know if its even something you are interested in.


Lastly, when they ask you why you want the job. Don't tell them its about making more money...Of course, everyone wants to make more. Tell them something like "Im looking for an opportunity to work with some good people, learn, and hopefully work towards advancing in the company"

Good luck...Im sure you'll do great. After all they did give you a second interview, so you couldn't have screwed up that badly last time.

 

[CoalCracker]

I just had two, second interviews yesterday. Two different companies and the above info is right on. I normally do pretty well in interviews. Make sure you go in with a positive attitude, don't bad mouth anyone or anything. Make the interview about you wanting the job for the right reasons. Don't bring up money or benefits until asked. Know your resume and the job description. Also do as much research on the company as possible. Good Luck!

 

[thaworm69]

First off...know the answer before you go. Don't try to play the weakness of as a strength either...thats BS and transparently so.

Just say the weakness, which implies you are aware of it, and then explain some ways you overcome it/are trying to work on it.

For instance, mine would be sometimes moving too quickly and it causing me to make errors that would not have been made had I been moving slow.
My explanation would be:
"I get excited and want to progress through the job and have my eyes focused on the finish line and then hit a snag that sets me back due to my speed. This is less of a problem that it used to be, now that I am aware of the issue. When I feel myself moving to quickly, I take a deep breath, pause, and think things over to make sure I'm not missing anything. Ive certainly learned some lessons from the errors I have previously made, but they were lessons that would have eventually been learned at a lower cost to me and the projects I was working on."

Its pretty generic but that's the general idea.
Some other general advice

One thing I have a hard time with in interviews is talking too much. Some expanding on questions asked is good, but generally you want to keep your answer brief and to the point.


Be prepared to answer these questions as well:

What is your favorite part of your current job?
What is one thing you would change about your current job if you could?
Why do you want to leave X job for Y job.



Another things that's very helpful is making sure you have questions prepared to ask them. In fact make a list and make a point to pull it out when they ask you if you have any questions.

Those first two questions I told you to prepare for "best" and "worst" part of job are great questions for you to ask them.

Also ask them
What is a typical day like for the position you are interviewing for
What is the company culture/do you like the people you work with
Ect.

Basically you need to ask questions that make them think you are feeling out the job to know if its even something you are interested in.


Lastly, when they ask you why you want the job. Don't tell them its about making more money...Of course, everyone wants to make more. Tell them something like "Im looking for an opportunity to work with some good people, learn, and hopefully work towards advancing in the company"

Good luck...Im sure you'll do great. After all they did give you a second interview, so you couldn't have screwed up that badly last time.

That is great advice! I am aware of some of the points you have mentioned, but you described in detail a lot things I need to work on that I did not last time. Thank you very much! It is greatly appreciated!

 

[rednblack_500]

Also, don't just focus on the questions, but keep your appearance in check. The deeper the interview process, the higher the level you will interview with. Make sure the shirt is ironed, tie straight, fresh shave, etc. It sounds so basic, but it's always amazed me how many people I've seen come through the interview process that had a great resume but weren't put together. Instant way to get cut from the applicant pool.

Just relax, have questions to ask, know your resume and make good eye contact. And remember, you already have a job to fall back on if things don't work out, so much less pressure than most people have right now!

Good luck to you!

 

[bob1852]

Don't try to play the weakness of as a strength either...thats BS and transparently so.

Just say the weakness, which implies you are aware of it, and then explain some ways you overcome it/are trying to work on it.

This.

Make sure you go in with a positive attitude, don't bad mouth anyone or anything.

And this! I'll often try to get someone to bad mouth a boss or a company by asking if they've ever had a problematic boss before. Sometimes folks will vent about obviously trivial stuff, while others will take a more diplomatic approach. It's a pretty good way to find out if they have some conflict resolution skills.

 

[thaworm69]

I just had two, second interviews yesterday. Two different companies and the above info is right on. I normally do pretty well in interviews. Make sure you go in with a positive attitude, don't bad mouth anyone or anything. Make the interview about you wanting the job for the right reasons. Don't bring up money or benefits until asked. Know your resume and the job description. Also do as much research on the company as possible. Good Luck!

Great advice as well about the money/benefits. I did that last time, and knew I should not have while I did it :smack: Lesson learned and I'm grateful they are giving me another opportunity. Good luck on you're jobs as well!

 

[The_Dog_42]

My basic interview tactic is 2-fold. I usually try to ask as many open ended questions as possible. If the interviewer is doing the majority of the talking, they will usually think it went really well and that you were really interested. Think of it as interviewing the company to see if it is a good fit. The second part is prep for the hard questions. Just in case you can't get someone talking a lot, you need to be prepared for a traditional interview.

The last interview I had, I was expecting to talk to 4 people separately. So I prepared 30 questions ahead of time. I was able to keep everyone except one guy talking most of the time and that one interviewer asked me probably the hardest question I've had. "Tell me about a time in your professional life when you were humbled." I was honest and brief. I'll be starting there on the 8th.

This tactic worked to get me offers from my last 3 interviews.

 

[thaworm69]

Would like to run this by you guys. "I would have to say a weakness of mine is that I tend to keep to myself while I am at work, I feel I am at work to do my job and honestly am not very interested in making friends, however it does not affect any work related communication. I feel it is a weakness because I spend 1/3rd of my life at at work and should get to know my co-workers a bit better . It would probably make for a better work environment and it is something I feel I should work on."

I can explain my communication skills in my strengths and it is an honest answer. It does not affect any relevant skills needed to do my job and it also shows that I am there to do what I have to do. Thoughts?

 

[rednblack_500]

That answer would be a red flag for me. A boss wants a team that is cohesive and works together. That answer makes me think 1) you're not a team player and 2) you only view this as "work" and not a career.

I would also build into your explanation of weaknesses not "it's something I need to work on" but "here's how I am working on it." It means you're being proactive and that's a good quality to have.

Just my opinion though.

 

[Bedlam]

Would like to run this by you guys. "I would have to say a weakness of mine is that I tend to keep to myself while I am at work, I feel I am at work to do my job and honestly am not very interested in making friends, however it does not affect any work related communication. I feel it is a weakness because I spend 1/3rd of my life at at work and should get to know my co-workers a bit better . It would probably make for a better work environment and it is something I feel I should work on."

I can explain my communication skills in my strengths and it is an honest answer. It does not affect any relevant skills needed to do my job and it also shows that I am there to do what I have to do. Thoughts?

I think that you re-phrase that as: "I have a tendency toward being a bit introverted. I get a little overly-focused on the task at hand and may not come across as warm as others might expect. I've been working on this by pushing myself to engage my coworkers during breaks or other opportunities. I'm much better at that than I used to be...and it's important to me because I value teamwork." Be prepared with a couple of specific examples where you made an effort to reach out to others who ended up helping you out in some way and forging a relationship.

 

[dkwolf]

Agreed... a huge part of what companies look at is how will you fit in the current structure. If your job requires any interaction with coworkers, you need to be able to get along with them.... and your answer above screams 'not a team player'

 

[thaworm69]

I understand, but... I am very team oriented when it comes to the job environment..I fill in for my supervisor when he is absent and I make sure everyone has the resources needed to complete the tasks. Answer any questions they have..ect..I know every job on the floor and offer my experience, I just don't feel the need to get to know them personally. Small talk is fine, but i'm not interested in what they had for dinner the night before or if they forgot to turn on the answering machine. I honestly have people with 20yrs exp. ask about a simple task on a daily basis...I humbly(?) explain the answer, but feel no need to talk to them about anything besides work. I get the point though...its how they view it...any suggestions on a good answer? I think Bedlam had a good idea, but if I'm way off on this.... than I am just way off on this...

 

[thaworm69]

How about "I could be a bit more persistent towards my goals. I sometimes tend to get off track of what I am after and find myself making a new goal even if its the same one I began seeking. I have recently decided to work on making smaller goals for myself in order to achieve a larger goal. A good example would be this interview, I focused on only passing the initial test, and doing the best not to look past that. Now that I have accomplished my goal I feel a bit more confident in creating my next goal." It seems a bit "canned goods" but it is again an honest answer. It leaves opportunity to explain my goals and show an increase in effort?

 

[Epimetheus]

thaworm, I get the part about being introverted, small talk, etc. Ditto. It is a red flag to keep to yourself.

If I could rephrase your post, you already nailed it: "I tend to be introverted, but on the other hand I currently fill in for my super , make sure everyone ... answer all questions. So it could be viewed as a weakness but one I am coping with successfully."

I have been to more job interviews than I care to count, Therefore I have become skilled at interviews and present well. My best suggestions:

look on the net for sample questions. There's a million of them, just try to get a few under your belt. Biggest one: Why should we hire you? That is, how will you help the bottom line of this company?

The decision will be made within the first 30 seconds of you walking into the room - this is from pro job coaches, interviewers, and headhunters. So, dress well, one step up from the job. If blue collar, wear a white shirt. If no tie, then wear a tie and suit. If suit, then get yours cleaned (if there is time) and make sure your tie, shirt, and shoes are spotless. I have dogs that shed like crazy, and occasionally I have forgotten to brush my hair, so I keep a lint roller, hair brush, and breath mints in the glove box of my car.

Be confident. (Huh? But I'm shakin'!) Look at it this way - you already made one cut. They WANT to see you. They already decided you have the basic tools from your resume. Now they want to see if you were truthful on your resume and how you fit into the company.

Bring a few questions for them - interviewing is 2-way. If you have pertinent questions, it shows you researched the position, company, and are curious. (What do you see are the immediate challenges of this position? How will that change over a years time once I solve the immediate problems?)

How you fit in - biggest thing. Big big big. Smile, Enjoy meeting them. Firm not crushing handshake - yeah it's old but important. Get everybody's name. That day, write thank you notes to each person.

Chill. You ARE the one.

 

[thaworm69]

thaworm, I get the part about being introverted, small talk, etc. Ditto. It is a red flag to keep to yourself.

If I could rephrase your post, you already nailed it: "I tend to be introverted, but on the other hand I currently fill in for my super , make sure everyone ... answer all questions. So it could be viewed as a weakness but one I am coping with successfully."

I have been to more job interviews than I care to count, Therefore I have become skilled at interviews and present well. My best suggestions:

look on the net for sample questions. There's a million of them, just try to get a few under your belt.

The decision will be made within the first 30 seconds of you walking into the room - this is from pro job coaches, interviewers, and headhunters. So, dress well, one step up from the job. If blue collar, wear a white shirt. If no tie, then wear a tie and suit. If suit, then get yours cleaned (if there is time) and make sure your tie, shirt, and shoes are spotless.

Be confident. (Huh? But I'm shakin'!) Look at it this way - you already made one cut. They WANT to see you. They already decided you have the basic tools from your resume. Now they want to see if you were truthful on your resume and how you fit into the company.

Bring a few questions for them - interviewing is 2-way. If you have pertinent questions, it shows you researched the position, company, and are curious. (What do you see are the immediate challenges of this position? How will that change over a years time once I solve the immediate problems?)

How you fit in - biggest thing. Big big big. Smile, Enjoy meeting them. Firm not crushing handshake - yeah it's old but important. Get everybody's name. That day, write thank you notes to each person.

Chill. You ARE the one.

Thanks bud....I think I have a great approach to this even if my weakness seems bad...I can balance it with my strengths...and still be honest about it. ..its hard to say anything negative about yourself and not get criticism...and it has all been constructive! Thanks guys. I'm hoping to put some decent sized profits into the home brew vendors by this time next year if things go good Appreciate the help from all of you. Still have a few rivers to cross to get there, but will let u know what happens either way.

 

[harmenbor]

This is a hard question to give advice. Just tell the interviewer that you have thought about your weakness, which is X, or whatever, and what you have done to work on it. They aren't particularly interested in knowing any certain weakness, just that you have the insight and have taken the time to realize you are weak in some areas, as everybody is, and you are the type of person to resolve it. I was asked that once during an interview and told them one of my weaknesses was being late. This was due to oversleeping because when I got off work I would stay up way too late watching TV, or something. So, I got two alarm clocks, one set to go off when it's time to go to bed and one to wake up by. They must've liked that answer because I got the job.